The present invention relates to a multi-function surgical instrument. More specifically, the invention is a surgical instrument that combines a hemostat assembly with other surgical tools to provide the capability to a surgeon to accomplish multiple surgical procedures with a single instrument.
Currently, a surgical instrument is known that combines a hemostatic capability with an irrigation capability and an injection capability. The instrument provides multi-functionality in a single surgical instrument, which results in efficiencies for the surgeon who is performing a surgical procedure. With the known multi-function surgical instrument, the surgeon is not required to insert and remove multiple surgical instruments from the patient in order to perform the procedure. However, there are procedures that the surgeon may be required to perform that require capabilities in addition to, or different from, those capabilities provided by the multi-function instrument described above. For example, the surgeon may be required to capture a polyp by utilizing a snare device. In this circumstance where the physician is required to perform a procedure that requires a capability that is not included in the multi-function surgical instrument described above, the physician would have to utilize a separate tool in order to obtain this capability. This reduces the efficiency of the surgeon when performing the entire procedure.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a multi-function surgical instrument that could provide other capabilities to the surgeon, in combination with a hemostatic capability, in a single surgical instrument.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a multi-function surgical instrument is provided. The surgical instrument includes a catheter, a bipolar hemostat assembly, an attachment member, and a surgical tool. The bipolar hemostat assembly includes an electrical connector at a proximal end, a bipolar electrode assembly at a distal end, and first and second electrical leads extending from the proximal end to the distal end and disposed within the catheter. The bipolar electrode assembly includes an aperture that extends axially therethrough. The attachment member is disposed within the catheter and has a proximal end and a distal end where the distal end is movable within the aperture of the bipolar electrode assembly between a first position wherein the distal end is extended from the bipolar electrode assembly and a second position wherein the distal end is retracted within the bipolar electrode assembly. The surgical tool is attached to the distal end of the attachment member.